Chapter 166: The Child Who Sat on the Table and Took Over the Room

Chapter 166 - The Child Who Sat on the Table and Took Over the Room Shikaku was clearly enjoying the back-and-forth between Ren and Danzo. His eyes kept bouncing between the two, like he was watching a live drama unfold. So much so that he didn't hear Hiruzen telling to continue until the Hokage began clearing his throat repeatedly. Finally, Shikaku turned, looking slightly annoyed, as if he was the one being interrupted. But since he was still technically a subordinate, all he could do was sigh in exaggerated resignation and get to his feet. "Alright," he began, tone reluctant, "we'll move on to the third and most important criterion for jonin promotion, strength." He paused dramatically before continuing. "I've cleared out Training Ground 44 for today. Let's all head there." Koharu, who had remained quiet the entire time, finally spoke up. "Is it really necessary for everyone to go? Wouldn't it be fine if only a few checked it out?" Shikaku, as if anticipating the question, replied smoothly, "Elder Koharu, as Lord Hokage himself said, we don't often see eleven-year-old jonin candidates, especially during peacetime. So it's necessary to verify every step properly and transparently." As he heard this Hiruzen quietly glanced at a few key individuals, Shikaku, Fugaku, who was still glaring at Ren, Utakata, who had his hand on Ren's shoulder to keep him from doing something reckless, and Yoru, hidden in the shadows but definitely listening. A quiet thought passed through the Hokage's mind, 'So it's already come to this.' He stood, posture straight. "Let's go," he said. "Shikaku is right. You all should see this with your own eyes." With that, he flickered away, and the rest followed. ~~~ At the edge of the Forest of Death, Hiruzen was the first to arrive. He was speaking with old man Yoshido when Ren caught up and greeted the older man cheerfully. "Hey, old man Yoshido. How's your back? Maybe I should burn all your weeds today." He pointed at the suspiciously well-maintained plants along the boundary, so pristine they hardly deserved to be called weeds anymore. "Honestly, if I ever find out you've been nurturing these things just to torment Genin. I'll give you a great gift." Yoshido scoffed, clutching his lower back dramatically. "Who needs a gift from a brat like you? Hmph. I still remember the first time you came here, trying to act cool, spinning around like a top, only to almost slip in the mud and roll like a potato. Imagine if the younger generation finds out when you get famous." Ren froze for a second, speechless. Hiruzen stood nearby, clearly enjoying the exchange. Thankfully, others began arriving soon, and the growing crowd forced the conversation to end. As Ren turned to follow the others, Hiruzen gave Yoshido a quiet warning, "If you ever tell that story again, I'll burn your weeds myself." Yoshido only grinned, way too widely for Ren's comfort, so he quickly glared at him and jogged to join the others, standing right next to Fugaku, who looked visibly annoyed by the proximity. Shikaku spoke again, taking the lead as the evaluators formed a loose semicircle. "The most important aspect of jonin promotion," he began, "is of course, strength. A base requirement is that the candidate must be proficient in at least two elemental releases." He turned toward Ren. "Chunin Ren, please demonstrate your abilities to the fullest. Show us everything you've got." Ren gave a sideways glance to Shikaku and immediately understood what the man wanted. 'Heh, you want me to impress people? I'm great at that.' He grinned. "Alright. But, Gramps, you'll have to be ready to save them. If I go all out, I'm not sure anyone here can handle it." His tone was playful, but several of the clan leaders frowned, especially the Inuzuka head, Hiashi, and of course, Fugaku. Hiruzen's expression, however, turned serious. He remembered Ren's Rasenshuriken. If Ren really did go all out, then he might be the only one fast enough to save everyone else. Ren leapt backward, creating a wide distance between himself and the observers. As he stretched his arms, he thought with a grin. 'Alright. It's been a fun day, but the last blow should leave a mark. Let's make sure Danzo dreams about this tonight.' He inhaled deeply and began forming hand signs, fast. Extremely fast. This was a jutsu Tsunade had given him along with a few others, this was one he hadn't tried yet even with the clones so he didn't have it memorized and still needed all the signs, but he executed them with clinical speed. Then, he formed the Ram seal and exhaled. [Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!] A titanic surge of water burst from his mouth. To call it "massive" would be an understatement. He'd just burned nearly 40% of his chakra to summon what looked like an ocean. The entire landscape warped with the sudden flood. But Ren wasn't done. Raising both hands to the sky, lightning began to crackle in his palms. [Lightning Release: Thunder Current!] A blinding surge of electricity lanced across the massive body of water, crackling, jumping, charging every molecule of the artificial ocean with violent energy. To the audience, it looked like death was racing toward them. No one moved. Because their eyes weren't even on the jutsu anymore. They were on what stood behind Ren. Hiruzen's breath caught. His eyes widened as he stared not at the boy but at the illusion forming behind him: A spectral figure tall, robed, white haired, staring at him with piercing red eyes full of judgment and anger. Tobirama Senju. Of course, it was a Genjutsu. Hiruzen knew that instantly. But that didn't stop the emotional reaction. The guilt towards his predecessor and teacher was too great for him so he froze for a while. Ren had targeted his audience precisely and it had worked. Fortunately, Yoru wasn't paralyzed. He moved immediately, forming hand seals in a flash. Three shadow clones slammed their palms to the ground in perfect sync. Boom! Boom! Boom! Massive, triple walls of earth erupted, stretching wide and high, just in time to absorb the entire blast of Ren's technique. Water crashed violently against it, lightning dancing across the top, but the wall held. And more importantly, so did the stunned audience behind it. Most of them had the same thought. 'If Yoru hadn't moved, we'd be dead.' And in that moment, they realized, this boy, this eleven-year-old, was already someone they had to be saved from. However, just as some of the spectators began to relax, a deep cracking sound echoed through the air. Boom! Crack~ Crack~ The massive triple-layered earth wall that Yoru had erected shattered in an instant. But it wasn't the flood or the lightning that broke through, it was Ren. His fist was still extended from the punch, steam rising from his knuckles as he stepped through the broken wall and spoke casually, almost like he was scolding someone. "C'mon, boss-man. You didn't have to do that. I'm sure the clan leaders were strong enough to handle it." He deliberately glanced toward the Inuzuka and Hyuga clan leaders, the two who were the most visibly dissatisfied figures in the crowd earlier. Hiashi's expression had turned unreadable, but his brow was furrowed as though he was deep in thought, connecting dots he hadn't before. Meanwhile, the Inuzuka clan head was grinning wildly, eyes gleaming as if sizing Ren up for something far beyond a political evaluation. Ren had expected dissatisfaction. What he got instead was something else entirely. Yoru, who had taken no part in the conversation, didn't respond. He simply flickered away, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Now that the dust had settled, literally and figuratively, many of the observers turned their attention fully back to Ren. Not just for the raw power he had displayed, which was considerable. But for what had appeared behind him. The phantom. The unmistakable visage of Tobirama Senju. Second Hokage. The man who helped mold the village. A legend. And, more importantly. Ren's grandfather. They had all known since they were all close to the village's political heart, but the official stance had always been that Ren himself didn't know. That his lineage was being kept secret, even from him. So then why would Tobirama's image appear behind him in a Genjutsu? Was it symbolic? A coincidence? Or something more deliberate? The clan heads exchanged glances. Wordless, measured looks passed across the group like a silent wave of questions. Eyes turned toward the Hokage for clarity. But Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't looking at them. He had his eyes closed, head bowed faintly. It took a while before Hiruzen finally opened his eyes. He looked at Ren for a moment, then slowly turned his gaze toward the others. His voice was soft as he spoke, "Let's go. We have a meeting to conclude." With that, he flickered away. The others followed shortly after, though not before throwing one final glance at Ren, who had placed a seal over the water still present on the training field. The seal activated and absorbed the entire body of water in an instant, sealing it away before vanishing with a small puff. Ren flickered after them. Soon, everyone was once again gathered in the council meeting hall. The room was quiet, too quiet. Sensing the tension, Shikaku took the lead. "I don't believe there should be any objections, but let's go through the proper process." He continued in his usual lazy tone, "To all those supporting Chunin Ren's promotion to the Jonin rank, please submit your recommendation letter." One by one, letters were handed over. Except for Tsume Inuzuka, Hiashi Hyuga, and the village elders, every single clan head and senior official submitted their letter to the Hokage. Even Fugaku Uchiha handed his in, though he looked visibly irritated by Ren's teasing grin from across the table. At one point, he even looked like he was debating whether to set the paper on fire. Hiruzen glanced over the stack of letters in front of him. One detail immediately caught his eye, every single letter was signed not for Ren Takahashi, but for the name Ren Senju. He let out a faint exhale and glanced at Shikaku. It was all part of his plan. The Hokage couldn't prove it, but he understood enough. His own ANBU Commander, the Jonin Commander, and many of the most influential clan leaders had begun to move behind this narrative. He looked toward Danzo out of the corner of his eye. 'I'm left with no other choice, my old friend.' Sighing internally, Hiruzen straightened in his seat. His eyes sharpened with authority as he looked across the room and spoke clearly. "It appears there is no need to seek negative votes. Therefore, I hereby declare, effective immediately, Chunin Ren Takahashi has been promoted to the rank of Jonin. His official duties and position shall be determined at a later date." Shikaku frowned slightly at the phrasing, but his expression relaxed again. He had already anticipated what was coming next. As expected, Hiruzen continued, "Also, from this moment forward, the Senju clan's seat on the council shall be reinstated. With the emergence of a confirmed heir, and the hope for the clan's growth renewed, the Senju's vote will once again hold weight in village affairs." He paused for a breath before continuing, "The official head of the clan shall remain Tsunade Senju. However, as she is currently absent from the village, her responsibilities and vote shall be passed to the heir, Ren Senju. In the event that both are unavailable," Before he could finish, Yoru flickered into the room and silently stood behind Ren. Hiruzen took the cue and continued, "then the Senju clan shall be represented by ANBU Commander Yoru." Hiashi was the first to interject. "Lord Hokage, just two individuals are not enough to formally revive a clan. While I acknowledge the heir's status, I propose that we wait at least four years before reinstating the Senju's voting rights. He is, after all, still only eleven." Before Hiruzen could reply, Ren stepped forward, his previous playfulness completely gone. "If you want clan members, I could shout from here and half the village would show up, and can you guess how many of your own clan would be among them, Hyuga Clan Leader?" His tone was sharp, every word deliberate. "The Senju have always been one with the village. The only reason our vote was abstained was because there was no one to speak for us. Now that I'm here, it makes no sense to continue that exclusion. Isn't that right, Uchiha Clan Leader?" Fugaku nodded slightly, then spoke without hesitation. "I agree with the Senju heir. As one of the founding clans, the Senju should never have been barred from voting on matters that affect the village. This practice should never have been allowed to continue." He gave Hiashi a pointed look as he added, "I say we end this farce. The Senju have every right to reclaim their seat on the council." ~~~~~ {Damn! Even I am surprised by my writing.} {Also, any doubts you might have in these Chapters would become clear in the next Chapters, I'll make sure everything is clear before he leaves the village, so stay put and just comment 'hot damn with captain holt's GIF'} {If you want, you can support me on pat-reon} { h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n } {You know what else} {280 Stones = Extra Chapter} {STONES!!!!}